Andy Farrell has insisted that his British and Irish Lions will not be overconfident against Australia rugby after urging his side to have no regrets in the first Test in Brisbane.
The tourists are heavily favoured to beat the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium, particularly after injuries to three key figures in the hosts’ side with Will Skelton and Rob Valetini joining Noah Lolesio in being ruled out of the opening clash.
While the Lions traditionally take on opposition at the top of their game, Australia still look to be in a rebuilding phase under Joe Schmidt after the disastrous 2023 World Cup overseen by Eddie Jones. Schmidt, formerly Ireland head coach, will leave his role next summer, and has struck a surprisingly downbeat tone when asked about his side’s chances.
Farrell’s squad, meanwhile, have boldly talked up the prospect of whitewashing the Wallabies and establishing themselves as one of the best Lions sides ever, though the head coach believes that there is no complacency within the group.
“There’s no overconfidence at all,” Farrell declared. “It’s having an inner confidence within our group that we are going to go execute the plan when it matters.
“There’s a realisation of what it is, and what it means, and how privileged we are, but that does not get in the way of how we prepare to make sure that we allow ourselves to be the best version of ourselves.
“I haven’t played against many Australian sides that are underdogs. I’m sure they’ll want to prove a point in terms of that type of thing.
“If you’re in a position where it comes down to this every 12 years and you get to pull the shirt on for the Wallabies and the privilege that goes with that, representing your country, they’ll be fighting tooth and nail.”
The Lions have also dealt with injury disruption ahead of this opening encounter, with all of Blair Kinghorn, Mack Hansen and Garry Ringrose sidelined for this game. The trio could recover in time to play against a First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne on Tuesday, but are more likely to come into contention again ahead of the second Test at the MCG.
A bulky pack features Tadhg Beirne on the blindside, Tom Curry on the openside and Joe McCarthy partnering Maro Itoje in the second row, and Farrell urged his team to “stamp their authority” on the contest as they look to take a 1-0 lead.
“You make sure you don’t have regrets and you don’t get in your own way,” Farrell responded when asked what message he would give to his team. “You don’t want to come off the pitch and think, ‘I wish I had another chance’. You’ve got to make it happen when it matters.
“You’ve got to stamp your authority on the game and understand that it’s not going to go swimmingly well all the time. We need to make sure we stay on point because that’s the nature when two sides in a Test match that means so much, that’s how it’s going to go. How we’re physically and mentally in control, that’s going to be key.”
